TheWorksofCharlesandMaryLamb—Volume4TOTHEEDITOROFTHE"EVERY-DAYBOOK"

totheeditorofthe"every-daybook"

(1825)

ilikeyou,andyourbook,ingenuoushone!

inwhosecapaciousall-embracingleaves

theverymarrowoftradition'sshown;

andallthathistory—muchthatfiction—weaves.

byeverysortoftasteyourworkisgraced.

vaststoresofmodernanecdotewefind,

withgoodoldstoryquaintlyinterlaced—

thethemeasvariousasthereader'smind.

rome'slife-fraughtlegendsyousotrulypaint—

yetkindly,—thatthehalf-turn'dcatholic

scarcelyforbearstosmileathisownsaint,

andcannotcursethecandidheretic.

rags,relics,witches,ghosts,fiends,crowdyourpage;

ourfathers'mummerieswewell-pleasedbehold,

and,proudlyconsciousofapurerage,

forgivesomefopperiesinthetimesofold.

verse-honouringphoebus,fatherofbrightdays,

mustneedsbestowonyoubothgoodandmany,

who,buildingtrophiesofhischildren'spraise,

runtheirrichzodiacthrough,notmissingany.

danphoebuslovesyourbook—trustme,friendhone—

thetitleonlyerrs,hebidsmesay:

forwhilesuchart,wit,reading,thereareshown,

heswears,'tisnotaworkofeveryday.

acrostics

tocarolinemariaapplebee

anacrostic

carolineglidessmoothinverse,

andiseasytorehearse;

runsjustlikesomecrystalriver

o'eritspebblybedforever.

linesasharshandquaintasmine

intheircloseatleastwillshine,

norfromsweetnesscandecline,

endingbutwithcaroline.

mariaasksastatelierpace—

"avemaria,fullofgrace!"

romishritesbeforemerise,

image-worship,sacrifice,

andwell-meantbutmistakenpieties.

applewithbeedothrougherrun.

paradisewaslostbyone;

peaceofmindwouldweregain,

letus,liketheother,strain

everyharmlessfaculty,

bee-likeatworkinourdegree,

eversomesweettaskdesigning,

extractingstill,andstillrefining.